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'SAMENA Daily' News

Afghanistan, China ink deal on optic fiber link

Category: South Asia

Publishing Date: April 21, 2017

Acting Telecommunications and Information Technology minister Sayed Ahmad Shah Sadat has signed an agreement with his Chinese counterpart Miao Wei in Beijing on linking Afghanistan to China through Wakhan district of Badakhshan province through a fiber optic line.

Sadat told Pajhwok Afghan News implementation of the agreement with China would help Afghanistan shun reliance on other countries.

Under the agreement, China will help Afghanistan in three main areas, said Sadat, explaining a 4,800km fiber optic line would be extended from Kashgar city of China to Faizabad, the provincial capital of northeastern Badakhshan via Wakhan border district.

The fiber optic line would an important role in realizing the digital Silk Road project, Sadat said, saying implementation of the project over the ancient Silk route would not only connect Afghanistan with Europe but to developed central Asian countries as well.

Afghanistan would more likely be an electronic square between Pakistan, India, Iran, Uzbekistan, China, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, Sadat hoped.

He said China would also cooperate with Afghanistan in developing another Afghan satellite named AfghanSat2.

China will help Afghanistan build capacity of telecom workers, said the minister who was accompanied by Dr. Mohammad Humayoon Qayumi, advisor to President Ghani.

Sadat had discussions with leaders of ZTE and HUAWEI companies in China where a number of power and energy companies promised investment in Afghanistan’s energy sector.